Author: آمنه غلامی 
Cousinia tenuiramula Rech.
Parvin Salehi Shanjani, Bahare Afsharnezhad and Hamzehali Shirmardi
Natural Resources Gene Bank, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Tehran, Iran.
Uploaded at July 2024
Scientific editor: Mohammad Dadmand
Seed Storage
The storage behavior of this species is orthodox (desiccation-tolerant seeds), dry to 15-20% eRH, and store at -20°C.
Germination requirements
The seeds of this species have non-deep dormancy. Sterilize seeds before placing them on wet germination paper. Place seeds for two weeks at 4 ºC to germinate uniformly. Then germinate under an alternating temperature regime of 15/20 ºC (the higher temperature for 16 hours in light and the lower one for eight hours in dark).
Morphology
Fruit type: Achene
Fruit shape: Oblong, compressed, apex truncate, base slightly curved, narrowed to hilum, pappus deciduous. Surface glabrous, with incident reticulate, slightly lustrous, greyish brown with black patterns
Fruit size: Length 3.62 to 5.03 mm, width 1.15 to 1.64 mm in an accession from Shahrekurd, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, which was collected and identified in 2019 by Hamzehali Shirmardi and is stored in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran with the accession number 48469.
Average 1000 seed/fruit weight:
Biological features
Life form: Perennial, subshrub, spiny. Stems erect, 15 to 30 cm height
Inflorescence, flower type, and pollination mechanism: Capitula arranged as raceme-like inflorescences, capitulum discoid, with 8 to 10 florets, 10 mm in long, color purple, involucral bracts multiseriate. Plant monoecious, cross-pollinated. Pollination is carried out by insects and wind.
Time of flowering: Early summer
Time of seed ripening: Mid-summer
Seed dispersal methods: Seed weight
Geographical distribution: Endemic to Iran. Typus from Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari
Distribution in Iran: West. In Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari
Taxonomy
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Cousinia
Species: C. tenuiramula
Persian name: Hezarkhar-e shakhenazok
References and Links
Assadi, M., Mehregan, I. 2017. Flora of Iran, No. 125: Asteraceae, Cousinia. Institute of Forests and Rangelands Press, Tehran, Iran, 396 pp.
Black, M. and Bewley, J.D. 2000. Seed technology and its biological basis. Sheffield Academic Press, 1-419 pp.
Bojňanský, V. and Fargašová, A. 2007. Atlas of seeds and fruits of central and East-European flora: the Carpathian Mountains region. Springer, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 1046 pp.
Ghahraman, A. Flore of Iran. Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands with University of Tehran Publication. https://floraofiran.net/index.php.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 1998. Dictionary of Iranian plants names. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 671 pp.
Mozaffarian, V.A. 2012. A Pictorial dictionary of botany. Farhange Moaser Publisher, Tehran, 1088 pp.
Sharma, O.P. 2009. Plant taxonomy 2E. Tata McGraw-Hill Education, New Delhi, 563 pp.
